P.O.V Aadi

Another month had passed since his third condensation cycle was completed and he had began actively hunting small slime packs of 100, he can now last 100 minutes or one hour forty minutes with both a thin shield and a coating on my dagger, and ten minutes with a low end shield that was 10 inches thick while also coating his dagger.

He knew if he can both coat a tool in an elongated energy to increase it's lethality while having a ten inch shield up for ten minutes he would be considered at the average level of a person with a low E- level while lasting 100 minutes was high E-level.

But he can only last one minute with an enhance coated dagger and a 10 inch thick shield, most likely he would reach low E-level with his next advancement, although it may seem like only one level higher there was a leap in quality between each level, and this increase became clear the higher you look.

S-grade people can directly 10% debuff A-grade people by releasing energy near them, an SS-grade can 50% debuff S-grades by releasing energy and SSS-grades can completely suppress SS-grades while directly kill S-grades with the sheer force of their energy when released unrestrained near them.

The higher the level the more exponential the difference in quality and quantity of their energy.

He had been in the dungeon a year and 2 months and had only reached the peak of F-rank, while more than enough to deal with slime packs and scouts if the slime packs come together they will form a colony and expunge any living thing not them from the area meaning facing 10,000 slimes alone.

He was nowhere near that level, and he knew based off current size of packs that it would happen soon, and the water will no longer act as a deterrent to the slimes but rather most likely aggravate them instead.

He had grown and dried enough food to last about six months and had put as many seed extra he could in his space while digging out the floor in the water room to make a lake the size of the entire cave and 20 feet deep, there was a small detached island at back of the cave near the sprout for his plant to go. He also blocked all but a trickle from coming down his little stream meaning he will be going there and waiting out the next sixth months by cultivating as much as possible and advancing as often as he can so to lower food consumption and try and push his food as long as possible.

He figured that once the slimes became a colony then the dungeon would attach somewhere and he would be able to finally leave.

With preparations made and all but his plant put where it was needed he headed to transfer the plant, with it now safely placed on its perch he blocked off the last of the trickling stream and dived in. over the next month he planned to carve out a small cave only accessible using the water and begin planting once more.

However it will take at least another month to do that, fortunately he no longer needed to use his energy in order to break the rock as with his grade reaching High F-grade his strength when not using energy was at the low F-grade. Just enough to break the stone and dig without expanding energy.

So he returns to land and stretches out for the last time until his cave is built enough, he sits down and begins to condense his gasses energy into liquid energy for the fourth time and six hours later he had finished.

Removing his clothes he dived in, without expanding any energy using his physique alone and no professional training he can last about 20 minutes before returning for air, and up to an hour if he used energy. Another reason you have to be trained and at least D-rank to enter a tunnel is because you don't know what environment you are entering and may have to actively hunt under water for hours on end.

With that said he circulates his energy so as to continue gathering energy and begins digging out his cave while coming up for air when need be.

Like this he spent the next month building himself a cubby hole to sleep in and meditate at, planting some seeds he knew it would take a while before he can stay long term there as he needed to be able to breathe while doing both. Returning to the surface he sits on the ledge with his plant and just breathes, he had been sleeping on this little edge for the past month and hated it, he loves his plant but it was much to small for him. Although he is small with a thin build he still had good muscle and having to scrunch up his body after being able to lay out how he likes was so uncomfortable.

But it would take at least another one to two months before he can use his cave to sleep, so laying back against the wall he eats a dried potato uncooked as he had nowhere to start a fire and went to sleep.

Another two months and his cave is ready just in time for his energy to be condensed again, going in he sits crossed leg and begins to liquify his mental energy, not that it took more than a nudge from him before his body did the rest itself. Falling asleep he intend to solidify his energy when he awakens but after waking he surfaces to do a daily check when he hears a distinctively not slime sound of what he assumes is shouting.

Joy floods him as he quickly pulls himself out of the water, puts on his clothes, his shoes long scrapped. He gets one of the stone bowls off the edge as the slimes don't digest things that hard so no reason to put it in the water and adds his plant and the soil he had used for it into the bowl making sure there was at least five inches of soil before sprinting to the voices.

He can't understand them but it is better then a slime infested cave with no one, coming up on the voices he slows down and begin to slowly approach them. He knew he looked bad with a to pale face from no sun in 1 year and 5 months, his clothes little better than rags due to the dust and sweat caked in. He tried his best to clean them but there was only so much you can do with just water and some scrubbing.

Knowing they were unlikely to see him as a threat once they saw him, he had no hesitation to go to them.

Turning the corner the first thing to appear in front was a sword the next was the person behind said sword, a woman with brunette hair and brown eyes her build was a lightly muscled build meant for agility and speed. However the biggest shock wasn't her looks, she was only slightly above average in that department with a shocked look on her face, no it was her up turned lightly pointed ears.

The woman in front of him was not human, backing away in fear he looks to see the others only to freeze. There was a short man about his height with so much muscle it bordered on deformity, another man to his left that was no doubt human with deep blonde hair and brown eyes another girl who was also human and a man with a set of wings attached at his back.

A tunnel had appeared just as he had hoped but wherever it lead to was not where he originated from.

Staying still he watches as the woman quickly lowers her sword and quickly approaches him, subconsciously he steps back as the only thing to approach him the last year and 5 months is things that want to eat him.

Seeing him back away the woman stops and slowly bends down to be on her knees before speaking while reaching out her right hand. Remaining still he looks at the others behind her trying to see their reactions to him. The two humans look both confused and worried, the short man looks angry, and the winged man seemed to be contemplating something, over all a understandable reaction to finding a random child in a dungeon in tattered clothes and a plant in his hand.

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Looking back at the pointy ear girl who has not moved since she kneeled and put out her hand, he took a step closer and reached out with his left hand. Still not moving she lets him grab her hand and they stay there for about a minute before she begins to slowly rise, she says something while looking at me but I remain silent. Seeing me not respond she sighs and looks at the others and appears to ask them a question, the man with the wings says something and slowly approaches until he is standing straight in front of me before leaning down.

I tense in reaction the man stops for a brief moment but continues on resting his head against mine, next thing I know dizziness hits and I throw up what little is on my stomach. Trying to get away now I tug my left arm trying to get free but she holds on as a few seconds pass and he hears the winged man ask a question.

"Little one can you understand us now?"

Surprised I look at him before tears stream down my face uncontrollably, the winged man appears unprepared for such a thing as he quickly takes a step back in shock. Sobs come out of me non stop and hiccups start happening as the mental, emotional and physical stress finally comes crashing down full force now that I will most likely be safe.

Clutching the pot in his hands he feel himself pass out from the sheer drop in stress level and the relief that floods him.

P.O.V. winged man (Lucien)

Staring at the ragged and pale child clutching a stone bowl with a plant in it who had just rounded the corner the first emotion he felt was worry followed by confusion.

There should be no way for a child this young to appear in a dungeon without a number of guards and adults to chaperone the adventure, although children are brought to low level dungeons like this one to learn basic combat with real experience it is always heavily supervised. Now how did a young child in such terrible condition get into a newly formed dungeon before even they the adventurers had. Seeing the child step back and freeze after seeing Maylen, Maylen lowers herself down slowly and reaches out her hand.

He continued to think of any possible way when the child began peering at them, looking at his eyes he felt a certain amount of pain as he stared at eyes far to old for the face that held them, he was clearly trying to judge their reactions. He made sure too have as little emotion on his face as possible so that his anger would not be seen by the boy, although his hair was shaggy and skin pale and if healthy he had no doubt would be a very pretty boy but a boy non the less.

The boy takes a step forward and with his left hand grabs Maylen's outstretched one, Maylen remains perfectly still for a minute before rising and then asks the boy " child how did you get here, and in such condition?" her worlds as gentle as she can. The boy remains silent staring up at her blankly as though not comprehending what was being asked of him, Maylen sighs and looks at us.

"Well, what do we do?" she asks.

I respond, "he appears to not understand us, I will use a mind imprint spell to allow communication but you will have to hold him as he may attempt to run if it startles him to badly."

I approach the boy until I'm close enough before leaning down a little, seeing the boy tense I pause for a second but continue my original intention. Putting my forehead against his I reach out using my mental energy and put information in that energy to push into his mind.

Surprise jars through me at the size of the boys mental sphere along with the purity and state of the energy within, most of the children capable of opening their mental realm do so at the age of Fifteen and it is usually small and compact barely the size of a bean. The boy is both to young and his mental sphere is triple that size while the energy in it is so thick it has liquefy.

Seeing the boy immediately become unstable and throw up, while panicking trying to rip his hand out of Maylen's hand, he waits until the boy begins to stabilize before I ask him a question, "Little one can you understand us now?" I watch as surprise flashes before his eyes before he breaks down in tears.

Unsure of what caused such a violent reaction I step back instinctively, the boy doesn't seem to care as he begins to sob and shake hiccups coming out just as often as his sobs he clutches the bowl even tighter to himself before collapsing. Fear shoots through as I worry the boy may be injured I rush to grab him gently pulling the bowl out of his arms and pass it to Maylen, although only half elf she should be able to communicate enough with it to know what had occurred.

Scanning the boy he found no wounds but many burn scars cover his legs and his hands and arms are covered in calluses and small cuts from heavy manual labor. Lifting the boy he turns to the others and gives his orders.

" Head back and report the situation of the dungeon but do not mention the child, he appears to have been forced into heavy manual labor and the only times something like this occurs is with black market slavery." He knew they would follow his orders, they may look incongruent and odd but they had all trained in the Enhanced Being Academy together and had known each other for twenty years.

He was chosen as leader as he was the one able to make fast calls as accurately as possible, he is a spearman and originates from a decent standing family. He knows that someone would try an kill the child to cover up as much of what had happened as possible.

Peering at Maylen to see what she could get, he stops at the look of horror that covers her face.

Although not a cold person Maylen has a constant poker face at any time, even her smiles and different expressions are usually fake. So to see true honest horror on her chilled him, he knew she got something and whatever it is was probably best told in an enclosed room with the others not around.

Tapping her shoulder to get her attention I send a mental message, "Is it something I should know now or in a warded and silenced room?"

She turns and says out loud "Lets head back, I'll take the boy to base and you go fill out the report." Nodding we head out of the passage way. Dungeons are holes in the ground that only disappear after all mobs have been cleared while expunging those still in it out when it's cleared, meaning you can kill off most of the low grade mobs and then let kids practice with minimum danger in low rank dungeons like this one.

Splitting off, me and Gurlet ( the short man/dwarf) head to the Adventurers guild nearest headquarters, while James and Ella (the human man and woman) head back with Maylen.

A thirty minute run and he arrive at Turnover city, clean brick streets and small shops and cafes are the first thing you see no matter which of the four gates you enter, next are the different inns and hotels. About a thirty minute walk he arrives at a small bar, small city means small Guild buildings and with there being one in each direction the chances of one getting especially busy is essentially zero unless an emergency occurs. Anything of such magnitude however would be taken over by the lord of the area.

Telling them about the mid sized slime dungeon and the rough estimate of the amount of mobs, we head to the west end on the opposite side of the city an hour from the guild building they had reported at.

Entering the house I immediately head to the meeting room were Maylen is without a doubt waiting to tell me exactly what she had learned, entering I see her pacing around the room filled with soft couches and recliner chairs. Many plants dot the room but what surprises him is that the plant with the boy had not joined them.

Hearing him enter Maylen turns to him with a grave face and begins to describe what events had led to the boys presence in that dungeon.

" you need to know that boy isn't from here and I don't mean this state or country, I mean this planet altogether." Surprise flares through me as I realize what she meant, although we know dungeons link to other worlds it has always been assumed they were monster filled wastelands. However if this boy is from one it means that is not the case, not only that but humans also exist their but are able to live and reproduce there as well.

She continues, "Although it has limited knowledge of how they live due to it being a seedling when it was pulled into the dungeon it can show me some images that has let me figure out somethings about that world, or at least how dungeons work over there. Dungeons over there close an hour after the strongest mob in the dungeon is defeated, but unlike here if you are in the dungeon when it closes you are trapped in it rather than spat out." Silence reined after that, she need not say anymore for him to understand what had occurred.

He asks, "how long was he there?"

She stares him in the eyes and says, "plants base time off when the sun is on them, no sun means no way for it to know. If you want to know how long he was there you will have to ask him."

Suddenly a faint shuffling sound was heard, getting up he deactivates the ward he had activated when he walked in and headed towards the sound. Looking around and shuffling was the boy in an oversized shirt with a bright yellow flower pot in his hands, the boy stops and looks at him they spend a minute staring at each other before the boy opens his mouth and speaks in a hoarse (due to lack of use) and stumbling (due to not being used to pronunciation) voice, "caan youu ttel mee werre thee baaathroooom isss?"(can you tell me where the bathroom is?)

Smiling I reach out my hand, when the boy grabs it I lead him slowly down the hall and to the left in front a blue door. Opening the door for him I let his hand go and step aside.

He looks at me before stepping inside and closing the door behind himself, my questions can wait until he is healthier.